Evelyn Lirri
13 October 2008
Kampala — President Yoweri Museveni is considering pardoning former Milton Obote II government Security Minister Chris Rwakasisi.
Rwakasisi, who has been on death row at Luzira Maximum Prison for over 20 years, was in 1989 convicted by the High Court for kidnap with intent to murder and handed a death sentence, upheld by the higher courts on appeal.
But President Museveni has in a September 28 letter to Mr Samuel Kibukina of the Uganda People's Congress Youth Desk hinted that he is considering pardon for the then most feared Obote II minister.
"I have received your letter of August 18, 2008 regarding Chris Rwakasisi. As you know, he [Rwakasisi] had been condemned to death. However, I did not allow the sentence to be carried out. I am continuing to study his situation," Mr Museveni wrote.
This is the first time Mr Museveni, who under Article 121 4(a) of the Constitution has powers to forgive convicts on death row, is responding to several calls by the UPC leadership to pardon their man.
Mr Museveni has previously ignored at least five calls by different UPC leaders including one by the current party president Miria Obote in December 2005.
His response to the UPC Youth Desk's August 18 letter requesting that Rwakasisi is pardoned has ignited some hope within the party faithful that the former security minister may get his luck soon. "This is a good sign. We hope President Museveni will pardon him," a senior member of UPC who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter told Daily Monitor.
In December 2005, Ms Obote wrote to Mr Museveni, asking him to exercise his prerogative of mercy to pardon Rwakasisi, a former confidant of president Obote (RIP). "I am kindly requesting you to show the spirit of reconciliation and magnanimity to Mr Rwakasisi and release him from jail by exercising your power of prerogative of mercy. You have done it before for other prisoners on death row; you can do it for Rwakasisi," Ms Obote wrote.
Mr Museveni did not reply to Ms Obote's letter. Mr Museveni has before forgiven a number of prisoners both on death row and life imprisonment, including the former governor of the central region in the Idi Amin regime, Lt. Col. Abdullah Nasur, who was released from Luzira Prison in September 2001 after spending 22 years in jail.
Nasur had been convicted for murdering the then mayor of Masaka, Mr Alderman Francis Walugembe. Previously, the closest Mr Museveni has hinted on Rwakasisi's fate was during the 2001 presidential elections while appearing on Radio West, a local FM radio station in Mbarara when he said he would not have Rwakasisi executed.
Rwakasisi was first arrested by the Tito Okello junta government while trying to flee the country together with his boss Milton Obote, and has continued to stay in Luzira Prison even after Mr Museveni took over power.
Uganda has not enforced its death penalty since 28 men were hanged on April 28, 1999. Among those who were hanged on this day was former UPC chairman for Luwero district, Hajji Musa Sebirumbi.
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